Moscow's iconic Red Square

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

From medieval slum to a parade of Russia's taste for the extravagant, the iconic Red Square remains throughout time, the first stop for every visitor to Moscow and the last thing they would want to forget.

A palette of rich history and architectural grandeur, Red Square maintains its gripping aura with its unmatched spread of offerings, including the 16th century St Basil's Cathedral - easily identifiable with its multicoloured onion dome roofs, as well as the pyramid of Lenin's Mausoleum.

The imposing red brick walls that border Russia's seat of power, the Kremlin, which peers ominously over its edge, reminds wide-eyed tourists of the sovereignty of the state.

With the beautiful St Basil's Cathedral sitting just a few metres away from the one-time proclamation platform of Ivan the Terrible himself, Red Square is best described as beautiful turbulence; a rich and intriguing kaleidoscope of an interesting past and a changing present.

Found at just about every turn, the popularmatryoshka doll or Russian nesting doll features wooden dolls of different sizes stacked within each other, a common Russian gift.

Kazan Cathedral - impossible to miss this piece of historical and architectural ingenuity.

Saint Basil's onion domes - St Basil's steeples are unique and recognised throughout the world for their fantastic design.

Visitors file into the eye-catching Saint Basil's Cathedral, a focal point at Moscow's iconic Red Square.

Lobnoe Mesto is not your average rock. This stone platform was used by the likes of Ivan the Terrible to make public speeches back in the days.

Moscow's State Historical Museum, built in 1872, houses some of the country's greatest treasures, from prehistoric artefacts to priceless possessions of Russian royalties, the Romanov family.

The Resurrection Gate, which is just metres away from the geometric centre of Moscow, rises majestically from Red Square, capturing the attention of onlookers from all over the world.